George w



cally taking up the water which is used in lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WV. F. RUFFING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND. MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TWO-THIRDS TO JOSEPH ROBB, OF SAME PLACE.

FLOOR-C LEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,619, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed March 24, 1892. Serial No. 426,237. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE l/V.F. RUFFING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Floor-Cleaners, (Case No. 1,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement inY instruments for cleaning plane surfaces and its object is to provide means for automaticleaning floors.

My invention consists in providinga receptacle for the water and so arranging this receptacle with relation to the soft strip of rubber which forms the squeegee that water can be readily forced into the receptacle by the action of the squeegee, and at the same time the squeegee may be held down against the edge of the receptacle in such a manner as to prevent the water from escaping.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows the device of my invention in perspective. Fig. 2 shows a section of this device on the plane a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a section of the same device on the same plane as it appears when the device is pressed down as it is in operation upon a iioor or any surface that is to be cleaned.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the dierent views.

The soft strip of rubber@ is of a form usual in squeegees and is set longitudinally in a back b, preferably of wood, this back forming a part of the receptacle which is to be used for receiving and carrying the water. This rubber strip is removable, so that it may be replaced when worn out by removing its protecting strip b2. The handle b is attached to the back b in any suitable manner, but preferably at such an angle that when held in the hand of the operator, as it would be ordinarily in service, the rubber strip a would be in a position nearly perpendicular as shown in Fig. 2.

Hinged to the strip b2 is the lid d, which is intended to reinforce the longitudinal strip of rubber by pressing upon said strip ot' rubber throughout or nearly throughout its length. The play of this lid cl is limited, keeping the rubber strip from leaving the floor thus preventing the water box from com ing in contact with the lioor. The spiral springs e e tend to cause this lid, which I preferably make of wood and of a shape in section approaching a triangle, to press upon 6o the rubber strip, thus pressing the strip against the point f of the receptacle provided for the Water. This receptacle g I construct of sheet metal which is attached to the back b carried to the point f and there bent sharply back forming a border of the receptacle, the face of which fronting therubber strip is inclined backward forming a border h. This construction results in leaving the space g throughout the length of the structure. This 7o space being closed at one end is provided with an oriiioet' through which the water may be poured when desired. The border or upwardly and inwardly turned edge h I make high enough to provide sufficient carrying ca- 7 5 pacity in the receptacle, at the same time not so high as to prevent the water easily passing from this edge and into the chamber g.

In the operation of this instrument it is pressed upon the surface which has been pre- 3o viously scrubbed and upon which water remains whereupon the rubber strip presses against the lid d and against the tendency of the springs e e, opens the passage lo between the rubber strip aand the edge h of the receptacle as shown in Fig. 3. When the mop is drawn sharply backward, that is to say, in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 3, the water will tlow up through this passagelc and into the receptacle g. The handle b may 9o be placed on the other side of back b, allowing the squeegee to be shoved instead of drawn, thus accomplishing the same result. Relieving the pressure upon the longitudinal strip by raising the mop allows the springs e c pressing upon the lid d to hold the rubber strip a firmly against the point f, thus preventing any of thewater from iiowing back. Then by turning up the mop on end, the Water which the receptacle g now contains, can roo be poured ont through the orifice i. This ori- Iice t' I preferably make With its lower edge slightly above the level of the top of the edge h.

I have found in practice that this instrument can be used as an ordinary squeegee for the purpose of thorougly scrubbing and cleansing a surface, and the Water need not be picked up until it is desired. When it is desired to have the Water carried into receptacle g, I make a movement of alittle greater rapidity whereupon the water is caused to flow into the receptacle g as already described.

Modifications in the construction of this apparatus will readily suggest themselves. I do not Wish to limit myself to the precise construction shown and herein described.

I believe that my invention is the `first provision of means for automatically picking up the water used in mopping the floor in which a squeegee is used to force the Water into a chamber and at the same time to close the chamber and prevent the escape ot' any ot' the Water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- l. In an instrument for cleaning surfaces, the combination with a receptacle provided with an orifice of the elastic strip a attached to one side ot' said orifice and closing the same, the lid el yieldingly held in position against said strip and the border 71. at the bottom of 'said orifice; substantially as described.

2. The combination with the back b and handle b of the receptacle g provided with W. F. RUFFING.

Witnesses:

G. B. HEIsER, GEORGE L. CRAGG. 

